| Brown spots on skin are called
chloasma or melasma and can happen for several reasons. One side effect
of sun damage is the skin discoloration known as solar lentigenes,
also known as liver, sun or age spots. They are definitely not associated
with the liver, but they can have everything to do with unprotected
sun exposure. On lighter skin types, solar lentigenes emerge as small
brown patches of freckling that grow over time. On women with darker
skin tones, they appear as small patches of ashen-gray skin.
Brown or ashen patches of skin can also occur due
to birth control pills, pregnancy, or estrogen replacement therapy.
In those instances the discoloration is referred to as pregnancy or
hormone masking.
Regardless of the source, the issue is the same:
site-specific, increased melanin production, or hyperpigmentation.
Melanin is the pigment or coloring agent of skin. It is created by
melanin synthesis, a complex process partially controlled by an enzyme
called tyrosinase.
When it comes to selecting treatment for
these areas, one factor to consider is the depth of the discolored
pigment. Most of the time discoloration is superficial. In a few cases,
the discoloration lies deep in the dermis. If the pigment is in the
epidermis, it can be helped with skin-lightening products. If the
pigment is deeper, laser treatments are a consideration. For topical
treatments, "Topical hydroquinone 2 to 4% alone or in combination
with glycolic acid, retinols, & salicylic acids has shown good
results.
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